Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)
Salary

Women account for the majority of Preschool Teachers in the United States. The entire group has an average salary of $11.98 per hour. The bottom of the pay range sits near $8.90 per hour, and the top verges on $16.78. Geographic location is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by the specific employer and experience level. While more than half report receiving no health benefits, slightly more than half do receive medical coverage, and about a third have dental, as well. Most Preschool Teachers report high levels of job satisfaction. The data for this synopsis comes from respondents who took the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)

A preschool teacher, in a general classroom setting, is expected to work with children younger than school age, usually between the ages of three and five. A preschool teacher must engage these small children in activities that are not too challenging but still have educational merit, including, but not limited to finger painting, putting on short plays, singing songs, and reading to them. The purpose of a preschool teacher is to prepare children for kindergarten and elementary school. A preschool teacher works in a school building and can be expected to interact with other teachers, the administration of the school, and any other school staff including custodians and cafeteria workers. To be a preschool teacher one must have a degree in a relevant field and teaching certification. A day of preschool is usually a half day, because most children at this age cannot attend school for an entire day. However, the teacher is usually there from morning to around 4 or 5 in the afternoon because there may be two shifts of students. A good candidate to be a preschool teacher is obviously someone who loves children, but also has plenty of patience and stamina. A preschool teacher will often have to mediate and settle disputes between children and deal with any problems they may have, be they social, emotional or mental. A preschool teacher must be gentle and careful with students because they are at a tender developmental age, and this job should only be done by someone who definitely knows what they are doing and loves it.

Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education) Tasks

Maintain classroom and play space for safety and cleanliness.

Conduct student assessments and provide feedback on behavior and performance to parents.

Lead classroom activities and teaching of curriculum, including maintaining order.

Plan and implement curriculum of activities and lessons.

Common Career Paths for Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)

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It's not very common for Preschool Teachers to move on to become Registered Nurses. Average pay for a Registered Nurse is $55K annually. As Preschool Teachers progress in their field, many go on to become Director of Preschools. In fact, this transition is more common than anything else, and pay for the position is usually $34K per year. Another common career choice for Preschool Teachers is to move into a Daycare Teacher role. Typically, Daycare Teachers get paid $20K.

Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education) Job Listings

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Popular Employer Salaries for Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)

Head Start, KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc., Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc, The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development, and Primrose Schools are top-notch employers for Preschool Teachers in this area. Head Start pays the most with a median salary of $28K, though with a large amount of variation, going from a low of $21K to a high of $37K. Other leaders in compensation levels are Kiddie Academy at $27K, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc at $27K, and The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development, where Preschool Teachers annually earn $27K.

While select Childtime Learning Center employees may bring in up to $54K, a median salary of only $22K — the lowest in the field — suggests a serious lag in the earnings department. La Petite Academy, Inc., Primrose Schools, and Goddard also scrape the bottom of the pay scale, with median earnings hovering around $22K, $24K, and $24K.

Popular Skills for Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Preschool Teachers usually report a few specific skills. Most notably, skills in Childhood Education, Spanish Language, Curriculum Planning, and Activities for Children are correlated to pay that is above average. Most people experienced in Childhood Education also know Activities for Children.

Pay by Experience Level for Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Preschool Teachers, more experience in the field does not usually mean bigger paychecks. Those who have worked for fewer than five years take home a median salary of $25K, and workers with five to 10 years of experience earn a higher $26K on average. Preschool Teachers bring in $27K after working for 10 to 20 years. People who have worked for more than 20 years report a median income of $28K, which is barely higher than the median for folks with 10 to 20 years of experience.

Pay Difference by Location

For Preschool Teachers, San Francisco provides a pay rate that is 46 percent greater than the national average. Preschool Teachers can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like New York (+36 percent), Chicago (+30 percent), San Jose (+20 percent), and Seattle (+16 percent). Falling short of the national average by 15 percent, the area with the worst salaries is Indianapolis. Workers in Tampa and Atlanta earn salaries that trail the national average for those in this profession (13 percent less and 5 percent less, respectively).

Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education) Reviews

What is it like working as a Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education)?

Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education) in Los Angeles:

"It's amazing as long as you get your rest!"

Pros: How the children remind you not to take things so seriously. Watching them grow as if they are your own children. Meeting new parents and being encircled by such diverse cultures.

Cons: When I don't get enough sleep my patience is thin and I don't have as much fun with the children as I could.